- High mountain ride with breathtaking landscapes of the Pyrenees
42.590977314598, 0.50978264999999
The North of Spain on horseback, on the peaks of the Pyrenees in Aragon, above the Benasque valley at the French border, on the paths and high mountain tracks. The landscapes are spectacular and varied. You cross the Natural Park of Posets-Maladeta, where the highest peaks of the Pyrenees are found with Aneto culminating at 3404 m. There are three massifs, declared "Natural Monument of the Pyrenean Glaciers". These glaciers shaped this valley for 40 million years. You horseback trip on different levels of altitudeallows you to enjoy different landscapes: mixed forests, black pine forests, alpine meadows, the high mountains lakes, glaciers and eternal snow, ... Habitat of different protected species like the capercaillie, the bearded vulture, or the brown bear. You cross medieval villages such as Ansils, Cerler, Sahún and the villages of Solano, discovering their history, their medieval architecture, and their unique way of life.
HORSEBACK TRAIL RIDE IN THE SPANISH PYRENEES
INDICATIVE ITINERARY *
Day 1: Arrival at the end of the afternoon at your hotel in Anciles. Presentation of the team and of your week before dinner. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2: After breakfast, transfer to Anciles to meet the horses and get ready for the ride. Today's ride passes through a mix forest with a lot of variety of trees; ash trees, birchs, oaks, red pines, wild cherry trees,...until arriving in Cerler. This village is at 1540m of altitude and it's the highest village of the Pyrenees. After Cerler the forest changes and it becomes a forest of high mountain with the typical black pine and firs, and if we are lucky we could meet capercaillie, endangered animals and other animals like the bearded vulture. We arrive at alpine meadow around 2000 m. of altitude and we can see beautiful view from the valley. You leave the horses to return to your hotel by car .
Day 3: We cross to the south of the valley, El Solano (sunny area). Today we go up a ski slope until we see the south side of the Aneto (3404m), the king of the Pyrenees, and the Massif of the Maladeta. We will have a spectacular scree slope and a path until 1000 metres below. The landscape is spectacular, and we discover how glaciers chiseled and eroded the mountains creating the valley millions of years ago. From there we will change the view and the massive of Turbón will be in front of us. Transfer to your hotel.
Day 4: Today is the day for discovering different villages, singular architecture of the Benasque valley and Romanic 
churches and hermitages. We are riding traditional tracks which join different villages. We are crossing Ésera river, drinking natural water of the depths of the mountains, and looking at the best Romanic hermitage of the valley, Virgen de la Gracia. It’s a Romanic lombard style building of the 12th century. This kind of construction has its origin in Lombardy, Italy, and they rose up to shelter the pilgrims who went to Santiago de Compostela in the "Camino". History of the village, the style life of their population, their constructions, hermitages, laundromats, fountains, take us back many years ago. Transfer to Anciles, guided tour of the medieval village before dinner and overnight at your hotel.
Day 5: El Collado of Sahún is a mountain pass of 2.025 m. of altitude and it connects two valleys of the Pyrenees, Benasque and Plan. We are in the middle of a great alpine meadow and we enjoy the silence, breathe fresh and pure air, look at incredible landscapes,... but going down we found a great surprise, two magnificent waterfalls that come down to Barbarisa lake, there we rest and cool off. A long narrow path going through a mixed forest that guide us until Sahún, known for its traditional descent of fire torches, "Las Fallas", celebrating the summer solstice. A pre-Christian festivity. In the last part of the trip we cross the Ésera river to get back to Anciles. Transfer to your hotel.
Day 6: We go to Benasque from Anciles, the main village that gives its name to the valley. After a few miles we can find some remains from the civil war. In the Benasque Valley there are other valleys created by glaciers 40 millions of years ago. One of them is the “Estós Valley”. In the Estós Valley the farmers carry their cattle in transhumance from the high meadows at different seasons of the year. There are cows that freely graze in large areas of meadows and forests bathed by river Estós. El Perdiguero, one of the most beautiful and unknown mountain of the Pyrenees of 3222m., you can't take your eyes off it during our journey going through the Estós Valley. Transfer to your hotel.
Day 7: The last stage of the trip is in the bottom of the valley, where there is the massif of the Maladeta, the highest mountains of the Pyrenees with the spectacular Aneto summit of 3404 m. It’s the scene that we see continuously on the track to the Portillón de Benasque of 2444 m. and gateway to France. Portillón de Benasque is one of the most iconic places in the valley for its beauty and history. For many years and in extreme conditions many of the population of the Benasque Valley used the Portillon to sell and buy their merchandise in Luchon, a village of France. At this stage we ride through the heart of the Natural Park Postes-Maladeta. Transfer to your hotel.
Day 8: End after breakfast and departure.
* The itinerary is indicative, it can be modified in the event of weather imperatives or other imponderables.
MEETING:
Day 1 (Sunday) at the end of the afternoon directly at the hotel (contact details will be sent to you with confirmation of your registration).
DEPARTURE:
Day 8 (Sunday) after breakfast.
TRANSFERS FROM/TO BARCELONA AIRPORT:
3 hours 1/2 drive. Per person: 235 € (round trip) payable locally.
CAR RENTAL:
We recommend car rental, which is particularly cheap in Spain, on the website: www.autoeurope.fr
RIDING LEVEL & CONDITIONS: 
You must be comfortable at the three gaits (walk, trot, canter), in good physical condition. Some passages must be done by walking horse in hand. Maximum weight: 95 kg.
RYTHM:
6 to 7 hours on horseback per day on average. The gaits are adapted to a mountain ride: essentially walk, a little trot, and a few canters when the terrain and the relief allow it.
GUIDE:
Local guide speaking English, French, Spanish.
GROUPS:
4 to 8 riders + the guide.
HORSES:
Spanish breed horses and crossbreeds suitable for mountain rides.
TACK:
Quality English and trail ride saddles, equipped with saddle bags. Classic bridle or hackamores.
ACCOMMOATION: 
All nights in a simple, family-run rural hotel. Horses stay in different pastures, riders are transfered every evening and morning to/from the hotel (about 20 mn drives).
MEALS:
Dinners every evening at the hotel: a varied and quality cuisine. At noon, picnics are carried in saddlebags on horseback, in order to enjoy the most beautiful mountain sites, often inaccessible by vehicle.
2025 PRICE / PER PERSON:
In 2-3 person bedrooms: 2 140 €
Single bedroom supplement *: 225 €
Barcelona transfers: see the arrival / departure section
Booking fees: 15 €
* If you book in a shared bedroom and there is no one to share, the single bedroom supplement will be charged, refunded if a person wishing to share registers later.
THE PRICE INCLUDES:
Horse and tack rental, guide, accommodation, all meals, drinks wine and water) during meals, itinerary transfers, financial bond for your payments by our travel agent guarantee.
THE PRICE DOESN'T INCLUDE:
Individual insurance, drinks out of meals and not included (sodas, hot drinks, aperitives) visits, tips, transport from/to Anciles (Aragon), booking fees (15€ / person), all that is not indicated in "THE PRICE INCLUDES".
INSURANCE:
A civil liability and travel insurance (assistance/repatriation) is compulsory. A cancellation insurance is strongly recommended.
A payment by credit card can make you benefit from its possible insurance (check your contract).
We offer to Europe Union, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway residents: the Chapka insurances.
Cap Security: full insurance with cancellation. Cap Cancellation: cancellation only.
See prices - See information
FLIGHTS :
Flights are not included because it is more interesting to book directly your ticket: a transport package included is generally more expensive with agency commissions. However, we are at your disposal to help you find the best prices or to offer you a flight included.
NO MORE DATES IN 2024: 2025 DATES & RATES AVAILABLE SOON !
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An excellent guide, jovial with a great knowledge of horses and local geology and history, he knew how to put a good spirit in the group.
Although the trails were steep at times, everything went smoothly.
Superb team of horses.
There was additional equipment for those who had forgotten certain things (raincoat, hats, etc.).
Comfortable accommodation, available and friendly staff.
In the beautiful excursions that I made, I will gladly return. Also the guide suggested other destinations that I would like to discover.
Tout était parfait: notre guide et accompagnant, ses chevaux, les transferts de taxi, le logement, et la nourriture.
Carina de l'hôtel était très sympathique et étant donnée notre situation particulière devant repartir un jour plus tôt pour raison familiale, a pu nous donner de quoi prendre le petit déjeuner à six heures du matin ainsi que des petits sandwiches pour le déjeuner.
Malgré notre stress familial et notre retour précipité ... La randonnée était très agréable et sympathique.
Prestataire & Encadrement: Parfait. Tres à l'écoute des cavaliers. Le guide Fait très attention à la sécurité des cavaliers.
Sellerie et équipement: Selle confortable mais un peu trop grande pour moi
Hébergement: Patronne tres gentille et aux petits soins !!
Je recommande sans reserve cette rando !!!
Services Cap Rando: Rapide et efficace. Je recommande Cap Rando Cheval !
Accueil et encadrement au top. Un guide d’une gentillesse exceptionnelle et humainement une perle.
J'ai monté Anzu: super cheval !
Une randonnée dont je suis revenue avec les étoiles dans les yeux. Paysage magnifique, guide et cavalerie au top, très bonne cuisine, pique-nique toujours avec l’amour du détail. Notre guide était toujours à l’écoute et aux petits attentions, accueillant et chaleureux.
Les services de Cap Rando: parfaits !